Starker lands are open for public recreation. Permits available at the office.

Thousands of Acres of Forests for You to Explore

Recreation Permits

A permit is required for hunting and recreation.

Permits must be displayed on your vehicle dash or screenshot on your phone if you arrive without a vehicle. They are free and can be obtained by visiting our office, located at 7240 SW Philomath Blvd., Corvallis, during our permit processing hours of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Permits need to be updated annually in our office during office hours.
Permits are not accessible online.

To obtain an Entry and Land Use Permit, we will collect the following information:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Phone Number
  • **Vehicle License Plate info**
  • Email Address
  • Reason for permit (hiking, hunting, etc.)
  • Which tree farms you plan to visit (you may select up to 6)

Accessing Our Lands

Starker Forests manages its lands for timber production, clean water and wildlife habitat. As your forestland neighbor for more than 85 years, we welcome public access for recreation. Users are required to obtain an annual free permit from our office.

Starker Forests issues over 3,000 permits a year to access our lands. Many of our gates are opened during the deer and elk season, provided the fire season has ended, allowing permittees to drive vehicles on our forest roads. During other times of the year, do not drive through an open gate, as it could be closed and locked at any time!

Activities we commonly give permits for include:
Walking, hiking, and running | Hunting | Horseback riding | Mountain bike riding | Wildlife and plant photography | Research | Berry picking | Bird watching | Christmas tree hunting (includes a fee) | Fishing | Firewood cutting (includes a fee) | Boy Scout/Girl Scout special activities | Digging plants for home landscaping | Dog exercising and training

Permits are not issued for mushroom picking or camping.

When you obtain a permit from Starker Forests, you agree to the following guidelines:

  • Log trucks have the right of way at all times. Move off the road to a safe location when you encounter a log truck.
  • Permits must be displayed on the dash of your vehicle when parked outside a gate.
  • Do not block any gate when parking a vehicle. Vehicles blocking gates can be towed.
  • No smoking.
  • No fires.
  • No camping.
  • No target shooting.
  • Obey posted signs.
  • No littering or garbage dumping; take your trash with you when you leave.
  • Do not damage trees, roads, gates or equipment.
  • Do not drive on dirt roads.
  • No parking on adjacent landowner’s property without permission.
  • No ATVs or motorcycles, unless riding as a member of the Flat Mountain Riders in specific locations and at specific times. Contact the Flat Mountain Riders at 541-929-4881 for motorcycle riding in the Flat Mountain vicinity.
  • No eBikes.
  • Comply with all state laws regarding hunting and fishing.
  • Report illegal activities to local law enforcement.

Please keep in mind:

Access may be restricted on our lands, especially during fire season.

Starker Forests are routinely patrolled by law enforcement. Please, follow our rules and the law!

For your safety, avoid active logging operations. The use of heavy equipment and falling limbs and trees make harvest operations extremely dangerous. Stay safe and keep away from active operations.

Together, we can reduce the risk of forest fires.

Our forest operations are carefully regulated to prevent fires while we are working in the forests during fire season. Public users have responsibilities as well.

At Starker Forests, we are part of a complete and coordinated system of fire protection that includes Oregon Department of Forestry, private landowners, and contractors. If needed, we work together to provide crews, fire trucks, and important fire fighting equipment including bulldozers via our logging contractors.

If there is a fire, Starker employees and contractors respond with “all hands on deck!” Oregon’s completed and coordinated system for fire protection is unique when compared to other states in the U.S. This system is successful at extinguishing 95% of fires at 10 acres or less.

Users of the forest should immediately report smoke to 911 and our office.

No smoking, fireworks, or campfires of ANY kind in our forests.

No parking in tall, dried grass.

Motor vehicles are only allowed on improved roads, free of vegetation.

Sky lanterns and target practice are prohibited.

While our gates are locked during fire season, forest workers and others accessing Starker Forests property using motor vehicles are required to carry one shovel, one ax or pulaski, and 2 gallons of water or a 2.5 lb. ABC or larger fire extinguisher.

Forestry & Recreation FAQs

What kind of permits are available for Starker Forests property and how do I get one?

To enter Starker Forests land you need an annual Entry and Land Use Permit. The majority of our permits are free and are issued for hiking, mountain biking, hunting and horseback riding. We also offer permits for fishing, firewood cutting, bird watching, moss picking, digging plants for home landscaping, Boy or Girl Scout camping, berry picking, Christmas tree hunting, and wildlife and plant research. Permits are not issued for mushroom picking.

Permits can be obtained at our office, 7240 SW Philomath Blvd. during the hours of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Are permits available online?

No.

When are the different hunting seasons and what should I do to be able to hunt on Starker Forests Inc. property?

Permits to hunt or fish on Starker Forests property are required. Contact our office to obtain a permit. Fire danger levels can affect the level of access we will grant. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife regulates hunting and fishing in Oregon. You are responsible for following Oregon’s hunting and fishing regulations. The regulations can also be obtained at local sporting goods retailers.

Where can I go to hike or bike?

You can hike or bike on many of our tree farms with a free permit from our office. There are no designated hiking or biking trails, with the exception of Alder Creek Tree Farm, which has some single track trails. No eBikes allowed. Our forestlands extend from the Lebanon area, west to Newport, north into Polk County, and south to the Junction City area. We can recommend places for you to go and give you maps when you get your permit. Not all of our ownership is available for access.

Can I ride my motorcycle or four-wheeler on Starker Forests land?

No ATVs or motorcycles are permitted, unless riding as a member of the Flat Mountain Riders in specific locations and at specific times. Contact the Flat Mountain Riders at 541-929-4881 and leave a message for motorcycle riding in the Flat Mountain vicinity. No eBikes allowed.

Does Starker Forests manage its forestlands sustainably?

Yes, we grow more than we harvest. Our more than 90,000 acres of forestlands are managed with the vision that the land will grow forests forever. Our forests include a wide variety of tree species at different ages. However, we do not manage our timberlands to become old growth. It is our objective to harvest what we grow, with the exception of mandatory timbered buffers on waterways and some steep slopes.

What makes wood a better resource than other materials?
  • Wood is strong, lightweight and easy to use for construction.
  • Harvested trees made into wood products continue to store the carbon they captured as growing trees.
  • Wood is renewable and reusable. It can be reused, recycled, or allowed to decay back to its original elements.
  • Wood requires less energy than other raw or synthetic materials to process for a variety of beneficial uses.
  • Wood has insulating qualities that are superior to most other building materials.
  • Research shows that incorporating wood into our buildings can reduce stress and contribute to good mental health.
What kinds of wildlife live in Starker Forests and what habitats do they like best?

Starker Forests is home to a wide variety of wildlife species; from common animals like deer and elk to less common species such as pileated woodpeckers and red tree voles. By managing a variety of forest types, from clearcuts to mature timber, we provide many habitats suitable for an array of species. Starker Forests works to protect sensitive habitat areas and, where possible, we take steps to enhance them for the species that are present.

Here’s a Guide of Wildlife of Oregon’s forests.

What is being done to protect salmon and other fish?

Since the mid-1990s, Starker Forests has voluntarily participated in the Oregon Plan, which was designed to enhance and restore Oregon’s native fish populations and improve wildlife habitat and water quality. As members of our trade association, Oregon Forest Industries Council, Starker Forests has voluntarily committed to comprehensive improvements for fish passage.

Starker Forests has replaced over 100 stream crossing culverts to allow for adult and juvenile fish passage and 50 year flood flows. Starker Forests has spent over $1,000,000 voluntarily for fish passage and habitat improvement projects. New culverts installed in fish bearing streams simulate natural streambed conditions by allowing gravels to collect in the bottom of the culvert. This allows even the smallest of fish to swim through the culvert.

What is Starker Forests doing to ensure clean water?

The Oregon Department of Forestry has administered the comprehensive Oregon Forest Practices Act since 1971, and added significant rule changes in 2022. The OFPA devotes a large portion of its rules to protecting water quality along rivers and streams. Starker Forests continually meets or exceeds the standards of the OFPA.
While erosion is a natural and normal event, rules of the OFPA aim to minimize runoff from forest roads. Roads are engineered and built to avoid sediment entering streams. Advancements in logging systems and road construction and maintenance have greatly helped minimize erosion to keep water in our watersheds clean.

More resources on water quality from OregonForests.org:

What makes the soil so important to Starker Forests and what is being done to keep it productive?

Soil is our basic resource. Without soil, water and sunshine, the plants in our forest wouldn’t grow. Maintaining productive and healthy soil is very important in forest management, as soil is one of the factors that determine how well the trees grow.

The soil our trees grow in comes from two different types of rock, sandstone and basalt. In general, the sandstone soils occur closer to the coast and the basaltic soils are found on the Willamette Valley side of the Coast Range. Different soil types support different plant communities. Soils in Western Oregon are very absorptive and can easily handle our high amounts of yearly precipitation. Even in clearcuts, you are unlikely to see overland flow. By preventing soil compaction during logging, the soil has more porosity, which then enables rainfall infiltration into the soil to make it a good environment for both healthy bacteria and fungal communities.

Forest management provides an exceptionally long rotation relative to other land uses. Forest soils are in a rest state for the full length of rotation, which can be 50-70 years on our lands. Forest soils are surprisingly resilient. Research at Oregon State University found that conventional timber harvesting has no effect on carbon levels in the mineral soils of the western Pacific Northwest for at least 3.5 years after harvest. “Modern harvest methods are designed to cause minimal soil disturbance, and the stable soil carbon would seem to reflect that,” research said.

What are the guidelines for harvesting and how does Starker Forests decide when and what to harvest?

Harvest unit selection is ultimately made by the experienced management team at Starker Forests. Factors that are considered when choosing where to harvest include stand age and condition, time of year, markets and contractor availability. We strive to be able to be nimble if necessary to respond to changing market conditions.

Why do you thin the forest by removing some of the trees?

Commercial thinning is designed to improve the stand of trees with an eye on future stand conditions by removing the suppressed or non-dominant trees. The remaining trees are more regularly and widely spaced, giving them more room to grow into a high quality wood product.

What kinds of trees are planted and grown in Starker Forests and why?

Approximately 500,000 to 600,000 seedlings are planted each year on our recently harvested ground, usually within one year of harvest. While the most common native tree species harvested and planted is Douglas-fir, we currently plant a mixture of three to five species into all of our harvest units. The mixture changes depending on geography, slope, aspect and elevation. This gives us a variety of options to meet our reforestation goals and match seedlings to our specific site needs.

Species include:

Conifers:

  • Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii
  • Grand fir Abies grandis
  • Western red cedar Thuja plicata
  • Western hemlock Tsuga heterophylla
  • Sitka spruce Picea sitchensis
  • Noble fir Abies procera
  • Ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa – Willamette valley variety

Hardwoods:

  • Oregon ash Fraxinus latifolia
  • Bigleaf maple Acer macrophyllum
  • Red alder Alnus rubra
  • Cottonwood populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa
  • Golden chinquapin Castanopsis chrysophylla
  • Incense cedar Calocedrus decurrens
  • Coastal redwood Sequoia sempervirens
  • Giant sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum
Why is multi-species planting important to the forest?

Starker Forests plants a variety of native species planting for several reasons:

  1. It gives us more product options in the future.
  2. We can reduce the risk of disease or insects impacting all of our forests. If one tree species is affected, we have others to take its place.
  3. Multi-species forests are more inviting to a variety of species and their preferred habitats.
When do you plant the seedlings?

We begin planting season in the fall, once we’ve received enough rain to increase the soil moisture. Planting season continues into the winter until the planting project is complete. Oregon laws require seedlings to be planted within 24 months of timber harvest but for Starker Forests, most harvested areas are replanted within 1 year.

Fact Sheet: Reforestation

What are the pros and cons of controlled fire?

Not all forest fires are bad. We use controlled fire to reduce forest fuels to lessen future fire risk and to help prepare harvest areas for replanting. Some fires are more intense than others. Out of control forest fires can have disastrous damaging effects if the weather is hot, dry and windy, especially when humidity is low. Unplanned fires threaten our timberlands, wildlife and neighboring landowners, which is why we take forest management seriously.

 

Fire Season Information

2024 Fire Season Wraps

Oregon Department of Forestry has declared the West Oregon District fire season will end at noon, Oct. 21, 2024. Gates...

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August 11, 2023

Oregon Department of Forestry will move the Fire Danger Level to EXTREME (Red) on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. Starker...

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Current Land Status

It’s Hunting Season

Hunting season has begun. September and October are two of the biggest hunting season months. When you are recreating in the forests during hunting season, it’s a good idea to make yourself more visible. Wear bright colors. Protect your dog by putting them in a bright collar or vest. Make noise. Whistle, sing or carry on a conversation as you walk to alert hunters to your presence. Be courteous. Once a hunter is aware of your presence, don’t make unnecessary noise to disturb
wildlife.

For a list of current private forestland closures visit this link.

We are not the contact for the C2C Trail.
Please see their website for information.

Visitors to Starker Forests are asked to comply with the following:

  1.  All visitors to Starker Forests must obtain an annual free recreation permit. Permits are available for out of town current permit holders via phone by calling our office. If you are local and/or getting a permit for the first time, you are required to visit our office. We like first-time permit holders to view the map and go over rules and regulations.
  2.  No camping or campfires.
  3.  No eBikes.
  4.  Do not park where your vehicle will block a gate, in tall grass, or where there is no designated parking available.
  5.  Practice “Leave No Trace” measures and take out what you take in.
  6.  Building of trails in any Starker forest is prohibited.